I'll go with you
by The Mad Otter
Summary: Hermione Granger knew what she had to do, she had spent the last 7 years protecting the love of her life and she wasn't going to let that stop her now. She would do anything for him, stand by his side, however now she had to let him go. Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter
1. Chapter 1

"I'll go with you!" Hermione exclaimed, launching her aching body onto Harry's. His arm's automatically fitted around her body. She didn't want to send him to his death, and she hated that he was so willing to give everything up for what he thought was the correct option. He was stupid.

She would have to live a life without him.

She could feel the tears running down her face, but she didn't care. If this was the last moment she had with him, then she would let her emotions out. She didn't care that she should be reassuring him that this was the right choice, because in her eyes it wasn't. It was unfair that their side was asking an 17 year old boy to give up his life. It was unfair that they were asking her to let him go.

Harry Potter, was more than the boy-who-lived.

Harry who remembered her when no one else did, and saved her from the troll.

Harry who never put her down, never laughing at her features or her intelligence. Rather he called her brilliant, time and time again.

Harry was her first true real friend. He was the first person apart from her family that gave her a birthday gift, even if it was just a bookmark (she still had it hidden her 'Hogwarts:A History' book).

Harry was everything to her. She gave up everything for him and she wasn't going to let everything she gave up go to waste. She couldn't bear the idea of being in a world where her parents didn't remember her and Harry was dead.

If he died then she would probably kill herself. She had nothing else to live for, not really. She had spent the last 7 years protecting him and she wasn't going to let all that effort go to waste. She couldn't undo the spell on her parents, and everyone else would be getting on with their lives. She wouldn't no couldn't be able to do that.

She would do what Hermione did best.

She would save Harry.

She had nothing left to lose apart from Harry. Ron had his family, her friends had other friends, her parents were happy in Australia, and Harry had Ginny.

It hurt so much to know the man she loved, loved someone else. But if that made him happy and forget her death, then it would be worth it she hoped. He could grow old with her, get a job as an Auror with Ron, meet the surviving DA every month, have children that he would name after the people he admired, and have a wonderful life. Without her, that is.

She wouldn't see him get his first job, she wouldn't see him grow old like she wanted too, she wouldn't be able to scold her boys for putting themselves in danger while she had a safe career, she wouldn't be able to have a laugh at the DA meetings, she wouldn't get married, she wouldn't have her wonderful wedding night, she wouldn't have children, and she wouldn't be able to see her children off to school.

But that was okay - she didn't think she would be able to cope seeing him do that with Ginny.

She hated that she felt jealous of Ginny, for Ginny was a wonderful person who she considered her best girl friend. She knew they were right for each - everyone said they reminded them of Lily and James. She would support them even after her death, like she supports them now. Ginny loved him and he loved Ginny. That was the only thing that mattered. Her feeling didn't matter because they were unrequited. It made her feel like James Potter or Professor Snape sometimes because they felt unrequited love for Lily (if the stories Sirius and Remus told were true). At least James love became unrequited, she felt sorry for those like her and Snape. It didn't really matter anymore though, he was already dead and she would be joining him soon.

Lily, how she would have liked to met her. It was funny how she would make the same choice as she did. Voldermort couldn't kill Harry if he couldn't touch him. She would protect him with the same thing Lily had, love. She loved him so much and now would prove it in the ultimate way.

Her resolved was set, and her eyes softened as she took in Harry and Ron, who had came over to get her off Harry when it seemed like she wasn't listening or letting go of Harry. She grabbed Ron and pulled him closer into the group hug. She could hear them asking her what was wrong and that she had to let go. She couldn't without telling them, even if it was only once.

"No matter what happens, just know that I love you both so much," She said her voice cracking slightly.

She could feel the boys stiffening in her arms, as they processed the hidden meaning behind her words. She could feel them pulling themselves from her and she allowed it. She opened her eyes, which she hadn't realised she had closed, to take them in and remember every last detail that she could.

"You know you have dirt right there," She said fondly to Ron, who she loved but realised she wasn't in love with. She pointed to it on her nose where it was on him, and he gave a sob laugh at the memory before wiping it. The look he gave her was one filled with regret, sorrow, love, fondness and understanding; she realised now that he had more emotions than only a teaspoon full.

"Hermione..." He started but didn't finish. There were too many things to say, but it wasn't the time.

"I know Ron, I know," She said. She did know that in another life there may have been something between them. They may have had two children and lived in a small house with a big enough garden for them to play quidditch.

"Hermione, I need to do this. You don't need to. Just go and help Ron find the last horcrux, and I'll find you later," Harry said pleading, his eyes filled with unshed tears. He didn't want any of this, he didn't want anyone to do for him, and he didn't want to die himself.

"Sure, I'll find you later. Just say safe," She said. Although she regret that the last thing she would say to him would be a lie but she hoped he would forgive her with time. She couldn't let him know what she was planning. She just had to pretend to let him go alone before following him and putting her plan into action.

She watched Harry leaving before she looked at Ron who just nodded before walking away to find a way to destroy the last Horcrux. She saw Lavender come up and hug him. She could see them together, and the thought didn't hurt much. She should have been less possessive of her boys; that was one of her regrets in life. The other was not giving the people the chance she said she would.

She started walking, not through the front doors like Harry did, but a secret passageway she had memorised on the Marauder Map. On her way there, she saw Draco alone in a corridor with an injury to his arm. Stopping in her track, she knew that this was one thing she could amend. Slowly she started walking to him, so she would not frighten him. She saw how he became tense at her footsteps, how he looked around for his wand (yet it could not be found), and how recognition flashed in his eyes. She saw how he watched her warily as she healed his arm before leaving him, healed and armed with her own wand. No word was spoken, because none were needed.

She walked away, satisfied that she had finally done one last good deed. Her hatred for Malfoy had disappeared in her deed, instead replacing him with the images of a lonely boy who was just as lost as the rest of them. Contented she walked away feeling a lot lighter.


	2. All You Need Is Love

**A/N – Thank you everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed the first chapter, I hope I will do this story justice in this chapter. I have about 2 more chapters left of this story which I hope you enjoy. I am sorry how late this chapter is, but life got in the way of me writing and publishing it.**

 **Thanks :)**

 **Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.**

Harry Potter believed he was going to die that day, and in a way he did. With every life brutally taken a part of his soul was crushed. He knew what his role was and if it meant less innocent lives were taken then he was willing to walk to his death, which he was.

Walking through the destroyed corridors of Hogwarts, memories flooded his mind. It was an comfort, to have the destruction replaced with his memories of the good times. He took his time walking towards the Forbidden Forest, where only death was waiting to greet him as an old friend. He looked at the fallen, those who were giving comfort and to what his home had become. He didn't want it to end like this, he couldn't bear another person dying in his name, to tell their parents the reason they died was for him.

He saw Ginny trying to comfort a young girl and her mother, he wanted to stop walking and kiss her one last time but he couldn't. He had broken up with her ages ago and it would be no good confusing her emotions before he died.

He saw Colin, a boy who in retrospect looked so small among the ruins of Hogwarts, he could see Dennis his younger brother body being shielded under him.

He walked out of Hogwarts and walked the path where Hermione had punched Malfoy in their third year, he could see Hagrid's hut which seemed to loom in the darkness and so did the many memories that happened there; rock cakes and copper kettles, Norbert the Dragon, Hermione telling them what Mudblood meant, Ron throwing up slugs, his and Hermione's adventure with time-traveling.

Though he carried on walking passed the hut and to the edge of the forbidden forest, which although was supposed to be forbidden, held alot of no-fond memories.

He stopped and took a shaky breath. He could feel the effect of the dementors, sucking away all the happiness he once had. With shaky hands, he combed through his hair with his fingers and cleared the dirt on his glasses the most he could with the bottom of his shirt. It wasn't that he wanted to be presentable but the fact that the small actions gave him some small comfort that he greatly needed.

He could a deep breath, and closed his eyes, he could imagine in his mind his parents, Sirius and Remus. He imagined them trying to tell them that everything was going to be alright and that they were proud of him, he could hear his voice in his mind saying how sorry he was and asking stupid questions that he didn't ever want to know. Like how much does dying hurts.

Too soon the images of them vanished from his mind and he opened his eyes. He wasn't ready for this at all but he knew he had no choice. He didn't want anyone else being killed because of him.

He walked into the forest, he felt the dementors affect on him yet he didn't let it matter to him, in fact he used that emptiness as fuel to his resolve, to make him carry on walking. For it was better for one person to feel this way than the whole of the Wizarding world. He didn't know where he was going yet his feet were leading him to an area that he knew quite well due to his adventure with Ron in their second year. It was the clearing of Argog and all his children. Though they weren't there anymore, instead he could see lots of death eaters hanging around, some with their masks on and some without. There was a fire burning in the middle and looking straight into it with their back towards him was Voldemort.

He felt the hushed of silence as someone noticed that he was there, rather than heard it. He was too caught up on the sight of someone that once use to be a normal boy like him, a person who had destroyed so many lives that will still destroy so many lives. He just wished that his sacrifice meant some people would be safe.

"HARRY NO! WHAT YE'R…"

He heard Hagrid being silenced and looked away to see him tied up to a tree, he could see the look of horror on his face. He just stared at him before turning his attention of Voldemort who had turned and was looking at him with the Elder wand in his hand. He looked amused that he was there. That he knew he would come.

"Harry Potter, I thought you wouldn't have come, you were cutting it fine."

"I'm here Tom."

If there was anything that would be his last words, it would be the reminder that he was still just a boy, that he once lived in an orphanage, that he was once picked on, that he had once died.

"No longer will you be the Boy Who Lived." The Death Eaters that had created a semi-circle around Voldemort all held their breaths as Voldemort raised the Elder wand at him, he wanted to close his eyes but didn't. He didn't take the wand out that was burning in his pocket, like it was begging to be used to help protect him.

He wouldn't fight.

Voldemort had won.

He, Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived had finally ran out of luck.

He heard something in the bush next to him.

He felt footsteps coming towards him.

He saw the look of shock on the unmasked Death Eaters faces, yet none of them were moving.

He heard Voldemort say "Avada Kedavra!"

He saw the green light leaving the Elder wand.

He saw someone getting in the way of the Killing Curse.

He saw his best friend lifeless body crumple to the ground.

He didn't see or hear anything else though if he did he would have heard a shocked-filled silence. All he could see was Hermione's opened eyes glazed over looking straight at him, with a small smile on her face.

He felt anger, he felt his magic inside of him trying to break free. If he had looked up he would have seen that a strong wind had formed around them all, blowing the fire in the middle out, making it impossible for anyone else to see anything.

He looked up and focused his energy and hatred onto Voldemort. He didn't remember reaching for his wand but it was in his hand, or rather the Elder wand was. He realized right then, that he was it's master. He remembered seeing Draco Malfoy disarming Dumbledore, he remembered disarming Draco at the Malfoy Manor, where Hermione was being tortured. He was it's true master and it had responded to his emotions.

He could see that Voldemort was shocked but hid it with anger, he could see that the death eaters were trying to send spells at him but he had unconsciously put up a shield. It was only the three of them now. He reached for his old wand, Draco Malfoy's wand that he had been using. He threw it to Voldemort who was surprised but picked it up nonetheless. He saw that the Death Eaters stop and had gone quiet, knowing that they were going to witness the last battle of this war, how the outcome would be decided then and there.

"Hermione Jean Granger, the women you just killed. She always went on about giving people chances and that everyone should have the chance to defend themselves, so that's what you have. A chance."

His voice was detached of any emotions as was his face, though in his eyes they could see all the anger that was building up inside, he wanted to destroy Voldemort's last hope and so he threw a spell a Nagini, killing it (though when he would look back he wouldn't remember what curse he had used) and the Horcrux inside. He saw Voldemort stumble backwards, a hand to his chest as if it physically hurt.

"It was her who discovered that your snake was a Horcrux, she was the one who realized that you made another by accident within me, due to my mother's death. She found a controlled muggle way of killing me before bringing me back to life. Your last Horcrux is dead. It's just you and me now."

"What no-one else going to be your shield? No one else going to die in your name like your mudblood friend did?"

They both stood there for a tense while that seemed to have gone on for ages and yet finished too quickly, they both pointed out their wands and said their desired spell.

"Expelliarmus!"

Although Harry thought he had enough hatred to conduct the killing spell, he knew Hermione would never forgive him, she treasured life and he would rather had the pleasure of seeing him rot in prison for the rest of his life or watching him go through the Veil.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Voldemort was shocked to say the least when the two spells hit in the middle, it seemed for a while that he was going to win before the bright orange light surged forwards and caused him to let go of his wand, the wand flew into the hand Harry Potter. Though it didn't matter, his spell was going for Harry Potter, now that his spell was no longer there protecting him.

However before it reached him it seemed like time itself had slowed down and he could see the ghost of the two women who had died for this boy. Lily Evans and Hermione Granger the two mudbloods who were deemed the brightest of their age, yet still died at his hand. The mudblood that he had just killed didn't look like the mess her body was in, but rather full of life in a sort of twisted way. He knew just then what she had done. What was going to happen to him.

"When will you ever learn Tom?"

They said together eerily, he was trying to move but he couldn't he wanted to say something but all he could see was the two ghosts. He wasn't sure if anyone else could see them but knew that if they could they would be terrified as well. "Love is the most powerful spell out there."

Time seemed to go back to normal and he saw the green light, not even hit Harry, not even going past the mudblood's body before it came coming back at him.

'I knew I was getting rid of mudbloods for some reason,' was his last thought as the green light hit him and he fell backwards, dead before hitting the floor.

It went silent as many Death Eaters were seeing their Lord dead in front of them, some tried to run away but before they could they were stopped by the sight of everyone from Hogwarts in a circle surrounding them. There was no way out as there was more than one wand trained on every Death Eater. Slowly one by one they dropped their wands and went to their knees, their hands up in surrender.

Though some tried to fight, for example Bellatrix, they were disarmed and quickly bounded with magic.

This did not matter to Harry.

All he could think about was seeing his mother and Hermione protecting him.

All he could think off was the ghost of Hermione who was still there, holding his mother hand. He wanted to say something but he couldn't, the words stuck in his throat. His eyes burned with tears, though he didn't dare blink incase they went away.

"Hermione…"He whispered, he wasn't sure anyone else could see them, but talks in the future taught him that he was the only one alive that witness what happened.

"Harry Potter, I …" Hermione started to say before a bright light blinded him and he opened his eyes to see them fading away.

He didn't want to see her go, he realized in the moment he saw he die that he had loved her.

He loved the girl who first fixed his glasses, time and time again.

He loved the girl who was made him stand up for others, time and time again. Not because she was helpless, she was far from that and wouldn't allow him to get but because he wanted to get that feeling he got every time she would smile at him for helping.

He loved the girl who even though was afraid of heights, flew a Hippogriff with him just to protect someone who was innocent, flew so many times because he needed her.

He loved the girl who stuck by him through everything even when he treated awfully.

He loved the girl who took his breath away at the Yule Ball, not because he didn't think she was beautiful, she just looked more beautiful then, maybe because for once she could see what he could see everyday.

He loved the girl who had saved the world. He promised himself that he would remind the world of this every chance he got.


	3. 1 Year Later

**A.N - Thank you everyone for your reviews and following this story, I hope you have enjoyed it. Sorry that this chapter is short, the next one will be a lot longer which hopefully I will upload soon. I know that this chapter is not what a lot of people wanted but hopefully this and the next chapter will justify it.**

 **Shoutout to _The 94_ _th_ _River II_ for a great review, you are amazing and this is dedicated for you. **

**Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter**

"Thank you everyone for coming here today, just recently Hogwarts has been repaired, which we couldn't have done without any of you. Even though today is the first anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of Voldemort, let's take a moment of silence for everyone who gave up their lives to make sure we could live in freedom."

The Hall was silent, as everyone reflected on those who had perished, the year had been hard on everyone. People coped with the cope in different ways; George went into isolation, Ron found comfort at the bottom of a bottle, and he himself, well he went into situations where his life was at risk. He always came out of them, to everyone else's relief and his displeasure, however at the moment he would give up a voice that sounded like Hermione's would nag at him, making him choose to fight, to survive.

"I just want to say, how sorry I am about everyone who died. However my friend, my best friend,"

He looked at Ron, who for once was sober just nodded, he did have a soft spot for Ron being his first friend but Hermione was always there.

"told me once how everyone was interested in me because I was the Chosen One, well she was right. It's was what everyone wanted, someone to be able to solve the problems of Voldemort. I had no say in the matter, despite being nothing special. I believe it was those who choose to stay, those who are here today, those who died for us, they are the real heroes. I will never be able to thank them enough and I will never have the chance to say how sorry I am. They should have had lives. They should have been able to grow old and I took that chance away from them. So to those families out there, I just wanted to say sorry. I never meant them to die for me, to die for us."

He hadn't properly finished however the emotions were caught in his throat, he took this chance to see the crowd in tears, he never meant for any of this happen and yet it did. It was his way of saying goodbye to the ghosts of his past.

He had to look at the present as he wasn't just living for himself, he was a godfather and Tonk's mother was getting too old. He needed to be there for Teddy, not swallowed in the past - he knew this would be his final time coming back to Hogwarts and looking at the past.

After this he would find a job that was less dangerous and his self-pity charade. He needed to be the man Hermione, his parents, Remus would be proud of, as he knew he would be getting a lecture when he finally joined them.

"So we should do the right thing, we should live the lives they couldn't. Make the decision they will never make. And although we will always love them, we somehow need to move on. I know that I will love Hermione forever but she not here now and I know she would want me to experience being in love. So to our love ones, and to our future love ones."

Harry managed somehow to say, raising a glass in honour, he wasn't surprised to see the remainder of Dumbledore Army all holding their glasses up, he was surprised to see other people, particularly the Slytherin's doing the same.

At that moment he understood.

At that moment, he swear he saw them in the crowd, those who they had lost, doing the same toast. He saw Hermione, who nodded at him before getting wrapped up in the arms of Fred and Sirius as they faded away. He remember hearing the words that were left unsaid before but meant everything now.

" _Harry Potter, I love you but you can't love me. Not in this lifetime."_


	4. It's been a long day without you

**A.N – I am so sorry that this had taken so long to be published, I'm not going to try and make excuses but reality got in the way. Hopefully you enjoy this final chapter of "I'll go with you" and I just want to say thank you to everyone who read, favourited, followed and reviewed this story. So, yeah, hopefully I have done this last chapter justice and let me know what you think of it.**

 _The death of Harry Potter at the age of 188 has shocked the Wizarding world who all mourn from his departure. The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, whose greatest conquest was defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, passed away alone peacefully in his sleep in the early morning of 31st October. The family he never, despite nearly marrying Cho Chang, from the orphanage formed at the old Black residents have all came together to form a eulogy for his funeral that will be taking place Monday morning. Ginerva Weasley, one of the last remaining survivors of the Battle of Hogwarts 1998 has prepared to share a few words._

 _More on Page 2_

Once again the newspapers and public opinion are wrong, Harry James Potter did indeed die at 2am on 31st October however he was not alone. There were people on the other side waiting for him to take the next big adventure.

One face had formed that stood out amongst the unidentifiable ghostly smoke that surrounded his bed, one that he had only seen in photographs for the last 170 years. Hermione Granger stood in her pink hoodie and jeans with dirt on her face and leaves still stuck in the wild braid of her hair. Yet to him she looked breathtakingly beautiful.

Slowly without taking his eyes of hers, he reached a transparent wrinkly hand towards hers which was waiting open for him.

"Hermione, after all this time?" He questioned. He knew that he had moved on in his own life yet she still was his first love and held a large part of his own heart. Yet he had expected her to have move forwards towards the light rather than wait for him. He had expected to see her on the other side, not making sure he didn't die on his own.

"Always," was her reply, pulling him away from his bed and towards the densest area of the light and smoke. He looked back down at their linked hands, he saw that his hands were no longer old and wrinkled but soft and youthful.

With his other hand he reached towards her cheek, it felt slightly cool to touch yet he was elated. He slowly bent his head towards hers, seeing how her breath caught up in her throat and her eyes fluttering closed before closing his own eyes. He kissed her, at first first it was only a brush of lips before the intensity grew. He put in all his feelings in the kiss, all the sorrow of what never happened and love he felt for her. Then the kiss grew to be once again soft and gentle. As he pulled away, he placed his forehead onto hers to stare into her eyes, which were shining of love for him. A soft smile graced his face whilst his thumb began to caress her cheek.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for the wait but I'm here now and I'm never going to leave you again."


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